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Illinois' 1st Congressional District election, 2026

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2024
Illinois' 1st Congressional District
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: November 3, 2025
Primary: March 17, 2026
General: November 3, 2026
How to vote
Poll times:

6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voting in Illinois

Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Democratic
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending
Inside Elections: Solid Democratic
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Democratic
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026
See also
Illinois' 1st Congressional District
U.S. Senate1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th10th11th12th13th14th15th16th17th
Illinois elections, 2026
U.S. Congress elections, 2026
U.S. Senate elections, 2026
U.S. House elections, 2026

All U.S. House districts, including the 1st Congressional District of Illinois, are holding elections in 2026. The general election is November 3, 2026. The primary is March 17, 2026. The filing deadline was November 3, 2025. For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:

Candidates and election results

General election

The primary will occur on March 17, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 1

Incumbent Jonathan Jackson is running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 1 on March 17, 2026.


Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 1

Marcus Lewis and Christian Maxwell are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 1 on March 17, 2026.


Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Candidate profiles

There are currently no candidate profiles created for this race. Candidate profiles will appear here as they are created. Encourage the candidates in this race to complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey so that their profile will appear here.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Illinois

Election information in Illinois: Nov. 3, 2026, election.

What is the voter registration deadline?

  • In-person: Nov. 3, 2026
  • By mail: Postmarked by Oct. 6, 2026
  • Online: Oct. 18, 2026

Is absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

N/A

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

  • In-person: Nov. 2, 2026
  • By mail: Received by Oct. 29, 2026
  • Online: Oct. 29, 2026

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

  • In-person: Nov. 3, 2026
  • By mail: Postmarked by Nov. 3, 2026

Is early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What are the early voting start and end dates?

Sep. 24, 2026 to Nov. 2, 2026

Are all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, is a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When are polls open on Election Day?

6:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. (CT)


Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

No candidate in this race has completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia is seeking 100 percent participation so voters can learn more about all the candidates on their ballots.

Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Jonathan Jackson Democratic Party $132,010 $166,876 $18,822 As of September 30, 2025
Marcus Lewis Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Christian Maxwell Republican Party $8,758 $288 $12,552 As of September 30, 2025

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

General election race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

  • Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
  • Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
  • Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[1]
  • Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[2][3][4]

Race ratings: Illinois' 1st Congressional District election, 2026
Race trackerRace ratings
12/23/202512/16/202512/9/202512/2/2025
The Cook Political Report with Amy WalterSolid DemocraticSolid DemocraticSolid DemocraticSolid Democratic
Decision Desk HQ and The HillPendingPendingPendingPending
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesSolid DemocraticSolid DemocraticSolid DemocraticSolid Democratic
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallSafe DemocraticSafe DemocraticSafe DemocraticSafe Democratic
Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week.

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Illinois in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Illinois, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2026
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Illinois U.S. House Established parties Not less than .5% (.005) of the qualified primary electors of their party in the congressional district N/A 11/3/2025 Source
Illinois U.S. House Independents Not less than 5% nor more than 8% (or 50 more than the minimum, whichever is greater) of the total number of persons who voted at the last regular general election within the congressional district. N/A 5/26/2026 Source


District history

The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2020.

General election

General election for U.S. House Illinois District 1

Incumbent Jonathan Jackson (D) defeated Marcus Lewis (R) in the general election for U.S. House Illinois District 1 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jonathan Jackson
Jonathan Jackson (D)
 
65.8
 
208,398
Image of Marcus Lewis
Marcus Lewis (R)
 
34.1
 
108,064
  Other/Write-in votes
 
0.0%
 
45

Total votes: 316,507
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 1

Incumbent Jonathan Jackson (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 1 on March 19, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jonathan Jackson
Jonathan Jackson
 
100.0
 
72,420

Total votes: 72,420
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 1

Marcus Lewis (R) defeated Montelle Gaji (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 1 on March 19, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Marcus Lewis
Marcus Lewis
 
80.0
 
15,282
Image of Montelle Gaji
Montelle Gaji  Candidate Connection
 
20.0
 
3,814

Total votes: 19,096
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

General election

General election for U.S. House Illinois District 1

Jonathan Jackson (D) defeated Eric Carlson (R), Tori Nicholson (Independent), and Babette Peyton (Independent) in the general election for U.S. House Illinois District 1 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jonathan Jackson
Jonathan Jackson (D)  Candidate Connection
 
67.0
 
159,142
Image of Eric Carlson
Eric Carlson (R)  Candidate Connection
 
33.0
 
78,258
Tori Nicholson (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
13
Image of Babette Peyton
Babette Peyton (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
12

Total votes: 237,425
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 1

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 1 on June 28, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jonathan Jackson
Jonathan Jackson  Candidate Connection
 
28.2
 
21,607
Image of Pat Dowell
Pat Dowell  Candidate Connection
 
19.0
 
14,594
Image of Karin Norington-Reaves
Karin Norington-Reaves  Candidate Connection
 
14.1
 
10,825
Image of Jacqueline Collins
Jacqueline Collins
 
12.1
 
9,299
Image of Chris Butler
Chris Butler  Candidate Connection
 
5.4
 
4,141
Image of Jahmal Cole
Jahmal Cole
 
5.3
 
4,045
Image of Jonathan Swain
Jonathan Swain
 
3.3
 
2,554
Image of Michael Thompson
Michael Thompson  Candidate Connection
 
2.2
 
1,680
Charise Williams
 
2.1
 
1,601
Image of Cassandra Goodrum
Cassandra Goodrum  Candidate Connection
 
1.9
 
1,422
Image of Marcus Lewis
Marcus Lewis
 
1.2
 
901
Image of Robert Palmer
Robert Palmer
 
1.2
 
899
Nykea Pippion McGriff
 
1.2
 
892
Image of Terre Layng Rosner
Terre Layng Rosner  Candidate Connection
 
1.0
 
780
Ameena Nuur Matthews
 
0.9
 
686
Image of Kirby Birgans
Kirby Birgans
 
0.7
 
511
Image of Steven DeJoie
Steven DeJoie  Candidate Connection
 
0.3
 
251

Total votes: 76,688
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 1

Eric Carlson (R) defeated Jeff Regnier (R), Geno Young (R), and Philanise White (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 1 on June 28, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Eric Carlson
Eric Carlson  Candidate Connection
 
40.5
 
10,755
Image of Jeff Regnier
Jeff Regnier  Candidate Connection
 
39.0
 
10,375
Geno Young  Candidate Connection
 
14.5
 
3,853
Image of Philanise White
Philanise White
 
6.0
 
1,598

Total votes: 26,581
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

General election

General election for U.S. House Illinois District 1

Incumbent Bobby Rush (D) defeated Philanise White (R) and Ruth Pellegrini (Independent) in the general election for U.S. House Illinois District 1 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Bobby Rush
Bobby Rush (D)
 
73.8
 
239,943
Image of Philanise White
Philanise White (R)
 
26.2
 
85,027
Image of Ruth Pellegrini
Ruth Pellegrini (Independent) (Write-in) Candidate Connection
 
0.0
 
153

Total votes: 325,123
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 1

Incumbent Bobby Rush (D) defeated Sarah Gad (D), Robert Emmons Jr. (D), and Ameena Nuur Matthews (D) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 1 on March 17, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Bobby Rush
Bobby Rush
 
71.5
 
94,863
Image of Sarah Gad
Sarah Gad
 
10.4
 
13,783
Image of Robert Emmons Jr.
Robert Emmons Jr.  Candidate Connection
 
10.3
 
13,628
Ameena Nuur Matthews
 
7.8
 
10,409

Total votes: 132,683
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 1

Philanise White (R) advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 1 on March 17, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Philanise White
Philanise White
 
100.0
 
10,134

Total votes: 10,134
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

District analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.

  • District map - A map of the district in place for the election.
  • Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2026 U.S. House elections in the state.
  • Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
  • State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.


Below is the district map in place for this election. Click the map below to enlarge it.

2023_01_03_il_congressional_district_01.jpg
See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2026
Information about competitiveness will be added here as it becomes available.

Partisan Voter Index

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Heading into the 2026 elections, based on results from the 2024 and 2020 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district is D+18. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 18 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made Illinois' 1st the 75th most Democratic district nationally.[5]

2020 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2024 presidential election was in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by The Downballot.

2024 presidential results in Illinois' 1st Congressional District
Kamala Harris Democratic Party Donald Trump Republican Party
65.0% 33.0%

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in Illinois, 2024

Illinois presidential election results (1900-2024)

  • 17 Democratic wins
  • 15 Republican wins
Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Winning Party R R R D R R R R D D D D D R R D D R R R R R R D D D D D D D D D
See also: Party control of Illinois state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Illinois' congressional delegation as of October 2025.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Illinois
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 2 14 16
Republican 0 3 3
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 0 0
Total 2 17 19

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Illinois' top four state executive offices as of October 2025.

State executive officials in Illinois, October 2025
Office Officeholder
Governor Democratic Party J.B. Pritzker
Lieutenant Governor Democratic Party Juliana Stratton
Secretary of State Democratic Party Alexi Giannoulias
Attorney General Democratic Party Kwame Raoul

State legislature

Illinois State Senate

Party As of October 2025
     Democratic Party 40
     Republican Party 19
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 59

Illinois House of Representatives

Party As of October 2025
     Democratic Party 78
     Republican Party 40
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 118

Trifecta control

Illinois Party Control: 1992-2025
Nineteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  Two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor R R R R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R D D D D D D D
Senate D R R R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D
House D D D R R D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D

See also

Illinois 2026 primaries 2026 U.S. Congress elections
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Ballot access

External links

Footnotes

  1. Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  2. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  3. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  4. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
  5. Cook Political Report, "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)," accessed July 1, 2025


Senators
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
Mike Bost (R)
District 13
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
Democratic Party (16)
Republican Party (3)